Update on the housing element of the Woolwich Leisure Centre Scheme

A Royal Borough of Greenwich spokesperson said:  

"When it opens in Autumn this year, our new leisure centre in Woolwich, which residents recently voted to be called Woolwich Waves, will provide state-of-the-art facilities, including two swimming pools, water slides, gym, health suite, five-a-side football pitch, sports courts, creche, soft play and more. It is at the forefront of our plans to improve the quality of life and health of our residents.  

"As part of the first phase of the scheme we funded the extensive refurbishment of the neighbouring and much-loved Tramshed Theatre. The wider scheme will deliver more new homes, along with shops, places to eat, and public spaces, including a new community square.

"Those new homes will be delivered by Hill Residential Limited who the Council signed a Development Agreement with in August 2021. In September 2022, planning consent for the leisure centre and a scheme of 482 homes (35 per cent as affordable housing) was granted.  

"On 11 June this year, the Council’s Cabinet will decide, subject to call-in, on recommendations to vary the terms of the Development Agreement with Hill to reflect proposed changes to the scheme. These have come about largely from changes to the government’s building safety regulations which have affected all major schemes in London.  

"The intended changes to the scheme include an increase in the number of affordable housing units and a change to the nature of these so that the majority will now be let to people on the Council’s housing register; previously, only 30 per cent fell into this category. 

"To enable this, all the affordable housing will now be delivered by a Registered Provider (formerly known as a Housing Association); previously 70 per cent of the affordable housing, all in the form of shared ownership units, was to be delivered by a Registered Provider. This means the Council will save on the cost of buying 51 units in the new scheme, but residents will still benefit from the new homes to let.

"We feel this is the best option to make sure the development still delivers positively for the local community on what will be a landmark leisure development that attracts visitors, creates jobs and provides a boost to the local economy."